System and Methods for Generating a Game Board and Playing Games Therewith

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a system and methods for a board game in which boards, each containing multiple letters are combined in numerous combinations and configurations in order to generate and play different board games on different game boards. The object of the board game is for a player or team to place that team&#39;s colored translucent chips or tokens on letters and adjacent letters to create words, thereby creating a line or path of chips. By using this line of chips and adding to the line at each turn, the player or team can meet certain objectives, such as connecting various locations or ends on the game board, or racing from one end of the game board to the other, and other objectives as necessary to play each game.

PRIORITY STATEMENT

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/561,086, filed Nov. 17, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a board game in which players createwords by connecting letters, and in particular, the present disclosurerelates to board games in which multiple boards are capable of beingarranged in various combinations and configurations to generate one ofmany different possible game boards, each of the boards is imprintedwith an array of different letters to individualize each board, and theplayers or teams must create words by connecting the letters on the gameboard.

The present disclosure relates to boards, each containing multipleletters, to be combined in numerous combinations and configurations inorder to generate and play different board games on different gameboards in which the object is for a player or team to place that team'schips or tokens on letters and adjacent letters to create words, andthereby creating a line or path of chips. By using this line of chipsand adding new words at each turn which will immediately or eventuallyform a longer line, the team can meet certain objectives, such asconnecting various locations or ends on the game board, either from sideto side, top to bottom or connecting all four sides (in one connected)line, or racing from one end of the game board to the other, and otherobjectives as necessary to play each game.

The present disclosure further relates to boards and integral orseparate pieces that are located or can be placed on the boards, suchthat the boards which each contain an array of squares containingmultiple letters to be combined in numerous combinations andconfigurations, now contain certain impediments or blocks to stop theprogression of the line or path. The pieces can be the size of one ormultiple squares and can be printed or otherwise made permanent on eachboard in random locations, or can be separate pieces to be placed on theboard before or during the game play.

The present disclosure further relates to boards, each containingmultiple numbers, to be combined in numerous combinations andconfigurations, usually in a mathematical formula (such as 3+4=7) inorder to generate and play different board games on different gameboards in which the object is for a player or team to place that team'schips or tokens on numbers and adjacent numbers to create mathematicalequations, and thereby creating a line or path of chips. By using thisline of chips and adding new mathematical equations at each turn whichwill immediately or eventually form a longer line, the team can meetcertain objectives, such as connecting various locations or ends on thegame board, either from side to side, top to bottom or connecting allfour sides (in one connected) line, or racing from one end of the gameboard to the other, and other objectives as necessary to play each game.

The present disclosure further relates to a board or computer game inwhich an array of letters is revealed on a display, such as a gameboard, computer, mobile phone or computer tablet, along with a clue orclues (including possibly the direction of the resulting word), and aplayer is required to find the answer word or words in the array. Thewords may be located from one end of the array to the other, such asside to side or top to bottom; or may be located anywhere in the array.The game may be played in a timed play or untimed play. Further, thegame play may be similar to the game play described herein for boardgames in which a player attempts to join top to bottom and side to sidein the least number of connected words. Points are established based onthe size of the words with a higher score for using fewer words whenjoining the sides.

The present disclosure further relates to a board or computer game or aprinted puzzle in which an array of letters is revealed on paper or on adisplay, such as a game board, computer, mobile phone or computertablet. On the same paper or display, a representation of a phrase,sentence, song lyric or other set of words shall be shown to the player.This representation shall reveal the length of each word and the numberof words in the entire phrase. But the representation will not revealall of the actual letters used in the words of the phrase. A typicalphrase representation will show several letters from the phrase incorrect positions with the remaining letters being shown as underlinesor empty boxes (blanks). The goal of the game is to identify and fill inthe entire correct phrase. The letter array contains the entire correctphrase so that each successive letter in the entire phrase, excludingspaces and punctuation, touches the previous letter in the entirephrase, as described herein. Players will use the letter array to findthe beginning, end and key letters within the phrase and then build thecomplete phrase by identifying the remaining array letters which fill inthe blanks in the phrase.

The present disclosure further relates to a television or Internet gameshow in which any of the game play described herein is provided for theplayers. The show may have multiple segments, in which the players playthe same or different formats of connecting words on an array orguessing the word on the array based on clues provided. There can be abonus round for the player with the highest score at the end of thesegments. Further, players watching the show can also play along forprizes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A board game is a game in which pieces are placed, moved or removed froma pre-marked surface or board according to a set of rules. From ancientburial sites, it is believed that the first known board game Senet wasplayed in Egypt as early as 3500 to 3000 BC. Since then, board gameshave been a part of most cultures and societies throughout history.Board games are based on strategy and usually the game ends when oneplayer or team of players defeats the other player or team based on theset of rules.

Board games are based on strategy and luck and can be divided generallyinto a number of different categories, such as word games, puzzles,theme games, role-playing and other categories, although usually, boardgames overlap these categories. However, the objective of almost allboard games is based on defeating the other player or team byaccumulating more points or the other team's tokens, or obtaining awinning position.

Of the more famous board games, Monopoly was first released in itscurrent version in the 1930s and Scrabble was first distributed in thelate 1940s and early 1950s. Another famous game, Trivial Pursuit wasfirst distributed in 1982. Each of these games included a game board andpieces that could be placed on the board or moved around the boardduring the play of the game.

In particular, the Scrabble game board contained an array of boxes andletter tiles that allowed each player to accumulate points by “layingdown” the letter tiles to create words. The number of points accumulatedwas dependant on the particular letter tiles used to create the word andthe location of the word on the board.

Although many types of board games exist, it would be advantageous tohave a board game in which the game board shape and size was made up ofa configuration of a number of smaller boards, each of the smallerboards having a different array of letters such that numerous differentgame boards could be created using the same smaller boards. Further, itwould be advantageous to have a board game in which the game board canbe changed even for the same configuration each time the game wasplayed. The present disclosure solves these and other disadvantages ofcurrent board games.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a board game containing a game board made up ofmultiple different boards, each of the boards individualized to containan array of different letters, such that when the individual boards areplaced next to each other in a configuration and then shuffled andplaced next to each other in the same configuration, different gameboards are generated.

For example, the game board may be made up of an array of 16 four byfour individual boards, with each of the individual boards having a fourby four array of 16 letters printed thereon, and none of the individualboards having the same array of letters. When the individual boards ofthe four by four array are picked up, shuffled and placed into anotherfour by four array configuration, the resulting game board will bedifferent than the previous game board.

Once the game board is generated, depending on the board game beingplayed, various board games can be played according to the rules set upfor that board game. Most of the games include the placement of chips onthe letters of the boards to create words. In the preferred embodiment,the chips are a different translucent color so that each player or teamuses one color translucent chips to create their words. By usingtranslucent chips, each player or team can see the letters that havebeen covered and continue to use those letters to create additionalwords and extend the path of those chips.

In most of the games, the player can use any adjacent letters to createa word so that a particular letter can be combined with up to eightadjacent letters and that adjacent letter can be combined with the sevenremaining adjacent letters to continue creating the word. In thepreferred embodiment, the word cannot use the same letter more thanonce, but the word can snake around and back to create the word.

An objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game board using16 individual boards in a four by four array. The objective is for eachplayer or team taking turns to create a path using their colortranslucent chips placed on the letters to create a word, and to extendthat path to create a line from one end of the game board to the otherbefore any other team creates a line from one edge of the game board tothe opposite edge with their color chips.

An objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game board using12 individual boards in a four by four array in which the four cornerboards are removed. The objective is for each player or team takingturns to create a path using their color translucent chips placed on theletters to create a word, and to extend that path to create a line fromeach of the four edges of the game board to all of the other edgesbefore any other team creates a line from each of the four edges of thegame board to the other edges with their color chips.

Another objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game boardusing 16 individual boards in a two by eight array. The objective is foreach player or team taking turns to create a path using their colortranslucent chips placed on the letters to create a word, and to extendthat path to create a line from the top of the game board to the bottombefore any other team creates a similar line from top to bottom.

Another objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game boardusing 15 individual boards in a three by five array. The objective isfor each player or team taking turns to create a path using their colortranslucent chips placed on the letters to create a word, and to extendthat path to create a line from the top of the game board to the bottombefore any other team creates a similar line from top to bottom.

Another objective of the present disclosure is to generate a game boardusing 16 individual boards in a four by four array. At the beginning ofthe game, each player has a fixed number of chips (i.e. 40). Theobjective is for each player or team taking turns to review the gameboard for a period of time and determine the longest word it can makefrom the letters on the game board. Once determined, each player statesthe number of letters in the longest word at the same time as the otherplayers. The players with the longest word are allowed to place theirchips on those letters. To the extent there are no chips placed oncertain boards, the uncovered boards are then lifted, shuffled andreplaced on the four by four array to generate a new board. Theobjective is to put down a certain number of chips on the ever changinggame board, for example, 40 chips, before any other player has placedall 40 of their chips.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide each of the novelgames described herein in a virtual or simulated game in which theboards are displayed on a monitor of a computer screen, a handheldelectronic game, a tablet, cellular telephone or any other visualdisplay. By providing the game board of the present disclosure on acomputer-based medium, the games can be played by players in the samelocation or players located remotely from each other by using a globalcommunication network such as the Internet. Further, the game playdescribed herein can be used in conjunction with various socialnetworks, such as Facebook and/or game websites, which allow players orsubscribers to play games. The game play of the present disclosure canalso be provided to players as an application and provided to players,for example, as an iPhone application or a Google application.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide each of the novelgames described herein in a game show format, such as one shown ontelevision or the Internet. In the game show, participants play againsteach other by viewing a virtual or simulated game in which the boardsare displayed on a monitor or other visual display. The participantsobtain points for correct answers or for connecting a path from one endof the array to the other before the other player connects their line.Any of the games described herein can be incorporated into one or moresegments for the players to score points. At the end of the segments,the participant with the highest score can enter a bonus round, whereinhe or she plays a game against the clock for money or prizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described inconjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not tothe limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements,and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an individual board containing a four by four arrayof letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array ofindividual boards in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a game board containing chips placed oncertain letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a game board containing chips placed oncertain letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array ofindividual boards in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array ofindividual boards containing chips placed on certain letters inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array ofindividual boards containing chips placed on certain letters inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array ofindividual boards containing chips placed on certain letters inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates game boards containing various arrays of individualboards in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a portion of a game board containing a various arrayof individual boards containing chips placed on certain letters inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a portion of a game board containing a various arrayof individual boards containing chips placed on certain letters inaccordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates a game board that can be played on an electronicdevice, the game board displaying a six by six array of letters providedfor an exemplary game in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 13 illustrates a game board that can be played on an electronicdevice, the game board displaying a six by six array of letters providedfor another exemplary game in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 14 illustrates a game board that can be played on one or moreelectronic devices by multiple players, the game board displaying asixteen by sixteen array of letters provided for an exemplary game inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary computer system or network architecturethat may be used to implement the system and methods according to thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an individual board 12 containingletters 14 imprinted on the board 12. In the preferred embodiment, theboard 12 contains a four by four array of letters, such that each board12 contains 16 letters 14. The number of letters 14 and the size of thearray can be varied and still fall within the scope of the presentdisclosure, such that the array could be five by five with 25 letters14, or three by five with 15 letters. Further, each individual board 12will have a different array of letters 14 from the other boards 12 andcan be imprinted with the letters 14 on both sides.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a game board 10 configured with 6individual boards 12 placed in a four by four array. With this gameboard 10 configuration, there are 16 letters 14 across each row and 16letters 14 down each column, creating 256 letters 14. With this gameboard 10 configuration, a number of different game boards 10 can begenerated by simply rearranging the location of the boards 12 in thegame board 10 configuration. Further, as described above, by printingdifferent letters 14 on each board 12, 16 different boards 12 (32 total)can be used to generate many different four by four game boards 10 forplaying the same game with a different game board 10 each time.

Once a game board 10 has been created by placing the individual boards12 in a pattern as required by the rules of a particular game, the gamecan be played. Further, most of the games played using the individualboards 12 and the game board 10 (regardless of how the game board 10 isconfigured), incorporate chips (see FIG. 3 for an example). In thepreferred embodiment, colored translucent chips are used to indicateboth a player or team and the letter 14 that has been used by that team.

To begin a particular game, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged in apattern designed for the particular board game 10 to be played. In thepreferred embodiment, the board game 10 consists of 16 boards 12arranged in a four by four array. Each player or team selects a set ofcolored chips. In the board game 10 of the preferred embodiment, two tofour players play individually or four to eight players play in teams oftwo. The game begins by the roll of a die (or any other determination)to decide will start the game. After the first player or team finishesits turn, play can continue to the left.

Each player or team takes a turn attempting to spell a single word onthe game board 10 by placing their colored chips on the squarescontaining the printed letters 14. Each player can announce the wordbeing spelled as the chips are placed.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of the game board 10 containing a two by sixarray of letters 14. During player A's turn, player A would announceGARNET and place six translucent chips 16 corresponding to player A'scolor over the letters 14 “G” “A” “R” “N” “E” and “T”. The adjacentletters 14 can be to the right or left, above or below, and diagonal tothe previous letter 14. In FIG. 3, the “R” and the “N” are adjacentdiagonally.

In the preferred embodiment, words may be spelled in any direction, fromleft to right, right to left, up or down, diagonally, or any combinationof these, as long as the square of each letter 14 in the word isadjacent to or touching the square of the word's very next letter 14. Inthe preferred embodiment, a player may not use the same letter 14 morethan once in the same word, however, alternative embodiments may allowsuch usage.

FIG. 4 shows another portion of a game board 10 with a six by fourarray. FIG. 4 shows how chips 16 can be laid down on the game board 10to create the two words ROMP and HINTED, which can be combined to createa path or line for a particular player or team. The “P” in ROMP sitsbelow the “H” in Hinted to create two paths, from the “P” in ROMP up tothe “T” in HINTED, and from the “O” in ROMP to the “D” in HINTED. Assuch, regardless of the beginning or end of a word, the path may useother letters 14 to get from point to point on the game board 10.

As stated above, a player may re-use letters 14 which were coveredpreviously by that player's colored chips 16, in order to spell a newword. The player does not have to lay another chip 16 on top of any chip16 placed on the game board 10. Instead, the previous letter 14 isincluded as part of the word. However, a player may not use anotherplayer's chip 16 to spell a word.

In team play, there can be two players per team. Play passes back andforth between the teams with partners taking turns to make the nextword. Partners on a team share the same set of colored chips 16. In thepreferred embodiment, team members are not allowed to help by pointingout words or direct play.

In the preferred game play, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged intothe four by four configuration or pattern shown in FIG. 5 in which eachsquare is a board 12 and each board 12 contains a four by four array ofletters 14. The object of the game is to create a continuous windingpath or line of same colored chips 16 stretching from one edge of thegame board 10 to the other edge, either from side to side or from top tobottom. A player may spell words anywhere on the game board 10 and anynew word does not have to touch any previous words, until the end of thegame. Players must play offensively by extending their own line, andalso play defensively by blocking the opponents' lines.

The winning player is the first player to create a continuous, unbrokenwinding line of chips 16 stretching from one edge of the game board 10to the other edge, either side to side or from top to bottom. Asdescribed above, a path or line is continuous as long as the player'schips 16 are touching adjacent chips 16 laterally, vertically, ordiagonally.

FIG. 6 shows the first six plays of a game between two players, a playerusing red chips (Red) 18 and a player using blue chips (Blue) 20. First,Red spells JUMPING 22 and Blue spells RIDER 24. Red then spells EATS 26and Blue spells SLIPPING 28. Next, Red spells CANED 30 and Blue spellsDRIP 32. FIG. 6 shows that a number of lines or paths have been createdby each player in both offensive and defensive strategy. These paths mayor may not be used later in the game.

Each player's next three plays are shown in FIG. 7. The Red player'sline from left to right was cut off by the Blue player's simple word NOR34, at the right edge 36. After being cut off from the right edge 36,the Red player then tried to impede Blue's vertical line with the wordsDENTED 38 and TREAT 40. But the Blue player successfully connected theBlue line through to the bottom edge 42 with the pair of words GINS 44and SET 46.

FIG. 8 shows the game board 10 after the Blue player made the finalmoves and won the game. The yellow line 48 indicates Blue's winning linefrom the top edge 50 of the game board 10 to the bottom edge 42. Thelast few plays began with Red locking the upper right corner 52 withTATERS 54. Next, Blue cut through Red's line with DOGS 56. Red sealedone upper right gap with CENT 58, however, Blue won the game byconnecting through to the top edge 50 with the word YEARLY 60.

Other games, similar and different to the game described above can beplayed using these boards 12 and the game board 10. Variousmodifications can be made to the rules of the preferred embodiment setforth above and still be covered by the scope of the present disclosure.Further, a player can be handicapped by the game play so that players ofdifferent ages or abilities can play against each other with a levelplaying field. For example, in one embodiment, an adult may beprohibited from using three letter words to make their path while thechild does not have that same prohibition. In another embodiment, aratio of turns can be established such that, for example, the youngerplayer may be allowed two turns for each of the adult's turn, or theyounger player is allowed three turns for each of the adult's two turns.

In an alternative game play using the boards 12 and game board 10 of thepresent disclosure, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged in either atwo by eight 62 or three by five 64 array as shown in FIG. 9. For thisgame, of which the object is to race the other player or team from thetop edge 66 to the bottom edge 68, the two by eight array 62 can be usedfor two player or team games, while the three by five array 64 can beused for three player or team games. Of course, other board 12 patternsor configurations can be used.

As stated above, the object of the game is to create a continuouswinding line of the player's colored chips 16 starting at the top edge66 and extending continuously from the game board's top edge 66 to itsbottom edge 68. Each player's first word must include at least oneletter which is in the very top edge 66 row of letters 14. After thisfirst word, each subsequent word must touch at least one letter 14 fromone of the player's previous words.

This game allows for players to block the other player's line. Thewinning player or team is the first player or team to create acontinuous, unbroken winding line of chips 16 starting at the very topedge 66 and extending all the way to include a letter 14 from the verybottom edge 68 of letters 14.

FIG. 10 shows the alternative game play in which Blue spells the wordTRADE 70 using at least one letter “E” 72 in the top edge 66. Red thenspells the word RAILS 74, with the letters “L” 76 and “S” 78 in the toprow 66. Blue then extends its line with the word REARS 80 using the “R”82 from TRADE 70 as the first letter in REARS 80. Red then spells EGRETS84 and cuts through Blue's line. Next, Blue places its chips 16 to formthe word RENEGADE 86 and Red creates the word LUGERS 88.

FIG. 11 shows the ending moves of the alternative game. The Red and Blueplayers have laid down a number of words creating the game board shownin FIG. 11. The Blue player spells ALIGN 90 to move its line to the gameboard's 10 center. Red then spells NOBS 92 to pull even with Blue. Bluecloses off the board with the word OPENS 94 almost cutting off Redcompletely, but Red lays down CROON 96 and cuts through Blue's line. Redcan next play either DUDE 98 or GIN 100 to win, however, it is Blue'sturn and Blue can play RETIRE 102 to connect to the previous word OPENS94 and win the game.

In order to make the games more playable, the boards 12 contain the samefrequency of letters as most words in the English language, however, theboards have been configured for letters such that there is an increaseof frequency of “ING”, “ED” and “ER endings.

In the unlikely event of a tie, the tie breaker rule is that the winneris whichever player or team has the most chips 16 on the board at theend of the game.

The game play described above can be incorporated with a clock thatrequires players or teams to create a word within a limited amount oftime and helps move the game along.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a game board using16 individual boards in a four by four array is set up. Any number ofboards can be used for this game, however, the preferred embodimentutilizes a four by four array of boards. At the beginning of the game,the boards are set out and each player or team reviews the game boardfor a period of time (i.e., one minute) to determine the longest wordthe player or team can make from the letters on the game board. Eachplayer or team has a fixed number of chips (i.e. 40), and the objectiveis for each player or team to place all of the chips on the board.

When time expires, each player or team states the number correspondingwith the number of letters in the longest word that they have determinedfrom the game board. The player or team states the number at the sametime as the others. The players with the highest number are allowed toplace their chips on those letters. Next, and to the extent there are nochips placed on a particular board (of the 16 in this example), theuncovered boards are then lifted, shuffled and replaced to againgenerate a four by four array. The game continues in the same mannerwith the objective to place all of the chips on the ever changing gameboard, before any other player or team has placed all of their chips.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a game board iscreated using 16 individual boards shuffled and placed in a four by fourarray for a game of solitaire. Any number of boards can be used for thisgame, however, the preferred embodiment utilizes a four by four array ofboards. At the beginning of the game, the boards are set out and theobject is for one player to create a continuous line of chips thattouches at least one letter on each of the 16 boards that make up thegame board. The goal is to complete the line using the least number ofwords possible. Accordingly, the player may place a chip on the side ofthe game board for each word used thereby keeping track of the number ofwords needed to complete the line.

In yet another similar embodiment of the present disclosure, a gameboard is created using 16 individual boards shuffled and placed in afour by four array. Any number of boards can be used for this game,however, the preferred embodiment utilizes a four by four array ofboards. Similar to the game of solitaire above, at the beginning of thegame, the boards are set out and the object is for one player to createa continuous line of chips, however the line must travel first from oneside of the game board to the other, and then, from the top of the gameboard to the bottom. The second line must “break through” the first linewithout using any letters from the first line, thus the break through.Again, the goal is to complete the lines using the least number of wordspossible. Accordingly, the player may place a chip on the side of thegame board for each word used thereby keeping track of the number ofwords needed to complete the lines.

In another embodiment, the individual boards 12 can be printed withdesigns taking up one or more of the letters 14 on the array. Thesedesigns overlap or replace the letters 14 and serve to force the playerto “go around” the space to make the line or path. These designs can bemountains, ponds, devils, etc. or just black squares indicating that thesquare is not available to use for the line or path. The designs canalso be separate physical pieces that can be placed or located on theboards 12 or on the game board 10. Once placed or located (or ifpreviously printed on the board 12) the game board 10 now containscertain impediments or blocks to stop the progression of a players lineor path. The pieces can be the size of one or more squares therebytaking up the space of one or more letters and can be placed on the gameboard 10 before or during the game play.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a separate blocking piece 120 that can beplaced or located on a game board 10 along with other separate blockingpieces 122, 124, 126, to create a game board 10 with various blocks. Inthis example, the four separate blocking pieces 120, 122, 124 and 126force the players to change the line or path to go around the block.Using this example, a game of race, around the game board 10 can beplayed. For example, in order to win the game, a player has to start atone end 128, and generate a path around the block and back to the sameend. Any of the games described herein can be played or modified usingthese or other similar blocks.

In a similar embodiment, instead of a block, the boards 12 can beprinted with wild symbols, so that a player can use that particular wildsymbol as any letter when creating the path or line. Again, the wildsymbols can be included on the board 12, by printing, or incorporated asa separate piece placed prior to or during game play.

Another embodiment provides for any of the game play described herein,but using numbers instead of letters. In order to create a path or line,the player must generate a mathematical formula using the numbers in thearray next to each other. For example, if a 3 is adjacent to a 4 and aseven, the path may include the 3, 4 and 7 in a equation (such as3+4=7). Using equations, the player or team places that team's chips ortokens on numbers and adjacent numbers to create mathematical equations,and thereby creating a line or path of chips. By using this line ofchips and adding new mathematical equations at each turn, the player orteam can form a line and connect various locations or ends on the gameboard, as described herein, or race from one end of the game board tothe other, etc.

In yet another embodiment, a board or computer game is provided in whichan array of letters is revealed on a display to a player or players.Such a display can be associated with a game board, computer, mobilephone or computer tablet. The various games described herein orvariations on those games can be played and displayed.

In one non-limiting example, the display shows a six by six array ofletters and a clue is provided for the player for each word to be foundon the array along with an arrow indicating the direction that theresulting word(s) must travel. For example, the clue might be “SISTINE”with an arrow to the right with a result containing six letters. If theplayer finds the word “CHAPEL” by depressing or selecting the correctletters starting on the left side and moving across and ending on theright side, an indication will show that the answer is correct. Theremay be four (or more or less) hints or clues and resulting answersbefore the player completes this round.

In an alternative embodiment, one clue is provided for all the answers.For example, the clue might be for eight letter words that are mammalsand the arrows are pointing down. The player must find four mammals withthe word starting at the top and ending at the bottom. Again, the timerstarts and keeps track of how long it takes for the player to find allfour mammals. The score is greater for shorter times to complete thearray. Bonuses can be given to the player depending on the time; forexample, every minute a multiplication bonus is reduced. Further, fortouch screen displays, the player can enter the results by touching theletter on the array and the game will indicate the selection by changingcolors, etc.

In yet another embodiment for a similar device, the player is provided afour by four array and one clue. The object is to find a single wordthat answers the clue and also touches all four corners of the array inthe shortest amount of time.

In yet another embodiment for a similar device, the player is provided afive by ten array and a representation of a phrase or sentence with afew letters filled in but all of the remaining letters shown asunderlines or boxes (blanks). The object is identify all of the unknownletters in the phrase (blanks) by touching the letters on the array,thereby forming a continuous connected line of letters which is all ofthe letters in the phrase, excluding punctuation and spaces, in correctbeginning-to-end order.

These four exemplary games can be played on a device or as a board game,in segments or levels such that the player has to succeed at one levelto be allowed to try the next level. Further, each of these games,either combined or separately, can be played against other players bysharing the device or remotely. Points can also be accumulated at eachlevel and the final score can be compared to other players during aspecific time period (one day, etc.) or at the same time.

In yet another embodiment, a game play similar to the game playdescribed above for board games can be played in which a player attemptsto join the top to bottom and the left and right side in the leastnumber of connected words. Points can be established based on the sizeof the words used to make the connection and/or a greater score forusing fewer words to connect the ends.

In yet another embodiment, a game play is provided in which, forexample, a six by six array of letters is provided and the player mustfind a certain number of words have the required number of letters. Forexample, the player is timed to find five words containing threeletters, four words containing four letters, three words containing fiveletters, and two words containing six letters. The player score is basedon time to locate all the words, with the objective to complete the gamein the shortest amount of time. Bonuses, or deductions of time, can beobtained for seven or more letter words (for example, subtract 30seconds for each seven letter word), using all the words in the grid(for example, subtract 1 minute) and finding double words, a word inboth directions (for example, subtract 20 seconds), among others.Deductions, or additions of time, can be incorporated for using hints(for example, add 20 seconds). Of course, numerous scoring methods canbe used to achieve similar results.

In another embodiment, the games described herein can be part of atelevision or Internet game show. For example, each of the segments orlevels detailed above can be a separate segment in which players competeagainst each other for points. The segments are the same or differentformats of connecting words on an array or guessing the word on thearray based on clues provided. The players must select the correct wordor words to complete the game board. The player with the highest scoreafter the three segments is allowed to play the bonus round, which canbe the attempt to connect the top and bottom and side to side in theleast amount of words. Further, players watching the show can also playalong for prizes.

Each of the novel game boards and game play described herein can beplayed using the physical game board. Further, each of the games can beplayed by simulating the boards and game boards on a display, such as acomputer screen, a handheld electronic game, a tablet, a cellulartelephone, such as a smart phone, or any other visual display that iscontrolled by a microprocessor-based system.

The rules of the games described herein can be played in a similarmanner using a microprocessor-based system and the games can be playedby players in the same physical location or by players located remotelyfrom each other. Such game play is understood by those having ordinaryskill in the art by using a global communication network such as theInternet or an intranet. The game play can be provided to players usingvarious social networks, such as Facebook, so that players can playagainst each other without the need for a physical board or being in thesame location.

Further, the game play can be provided at or by websites that providecomputer games and game play to subscribers of those website. In doingso, game statistics can be generated and recorded for individuals andteam play. The game play of the present disclosure can also be providedto players as an application download to a computer tablet or smartphone, for example, as an iPhone application or a Google application.

Thus in some embodiments, the game board 10 may be electronic. Withreference to FIG. 12, for example, an electronic game board 10 is shownfor use on a computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, a microprocessor-basedsystem, or other electronic device. Some of these electronic devices mayin fact have touch-screens. Moreover, it should be understood that someor many of the principles and features described above may be equallyapplicable to game boards 10 that are electronic. For instance, similarto the various embodiments described above, the game board 10 shown inFIG. 12 may provide a variety of games for one or more players.Conversely, some or many of the principles and features described belowmay be equally applicable to the game boards 10 described above.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the game board 10challenges a player to locate words hidden within a six by six array ofletters 14. The player may tap each letter 14 of a continuously windingword in sequence to identify that word. In the alternative, the playermay drag a pointer, stylus, finger, or other marker from letter 14 toletter 14 without having to individually tap each letter 14.

More specifically, at least one indicator 130 may inform a user ofrequirements for the types of words that must be located. Here, forexample, four indicators 130 inform the player to locate one six-letterword extending generally left to right, one six-letter word extendinggenerally top to bottom, one six-letter word extending generally rightto left, and one six-letter word extending generally bottom to top.While all of the indicators 130 are shown to require six-letter wordshere, this is merely exemplary. Depending on the difficulty settings,the skill of the player, the “round,” or some combination thereof, thegame board 10 may challenge the player to find words of varying length.

In some embodiments, a clue 132 may be provided near each indicator 130.The exemplary clues 132 shown here correspond, respectively, to the nameof a desert, the capital of Ireland, a gaseous planet, and the name ofan American actor. Further, a box 134 underneath each indicator 130 mayshow the correct word after the player has located the word.

A number of points 136 awarded for each correct word located may also beshown. For instance, the player was awarded 2,400 points for locating“Sahara,” 3,000 points for locating “Dublin,” and “2,400 points forlocating “Uranus.” The point scheme may be based on the difficulty oflocating a particular hidden word or an amount of time elapsed 138 sincethe game began, for example. In other words, the player may receive morepoints for locating words quickly. A multiplier 140 corresponding to a“Time Bonus” may inform the player of the benefit of finding wordstimely. In this example, one minute and eight seconds have elapsed,which corresponds to a multiplier 140 of “3×.” Thus assuming one hundredpoints per letter per word, the player would only receive 1,800 pointsbased on the amount of time that has elapsed 138 for correctlyidentifying “Bogart.” As the player taps each letter 14 of a word, thegame board 10 may display a sequence 142 of letters that the player hasselected. If the sequence 142 is incorrect (e.g., if the playererroneously selected an incorrect letter or one out of order), theplayer may simply tap a “clear” button 144 to begin identifying the wordagain. As with many embodiments of the present disclosure, the gameboard 10 may notify the player once the player has correctly identifieda word, when the player has incorrectly identified a word, or when theword does not exist.

The game board 10 may also display a player profile 146. The playerprofile 146 may be part of a larger player profile (not shown) and mayindicate, for example, how many points the player has accumulated in aparticular game and a name of the current player. The game board 10 mayalso provide a hint button 148 for players. The hint button 148 may giveplayers a hint for locating a word. The hint may be substantive, such asproviding the first and last letters of a word, for instance. Or thehint may be visual, such as highlighting several letters 14 of a word onthe game board 10, for example. Use of the hint button 148 maydetrimentally impact the player's score, such as by adding time orreducing points. Moreover, the game board 10 may provide differentlevels of hints.

The game board 10 may further provide a help button 150, a dictionarybutton 152, a pause/menu button 154, and an exit button 156 in someembodiments. The help button 150 may provide players with furtherinformation on the game, such as directions on how to play, for example.The dictionary button 152 may allow players to verify words in adictionary, which depending on the electronic device may be storedlocally or may be stored remotely. The pause/menu button 154 may pausethe current game while displaying a menu for the player. In oneembodiment, the letters 14 of the game board 10 may be masked when thepause/menu button 154 is selected so that a player may not stop theelapsed time 138 while continuing to locate words. Moreover, the exitbutton 156 may allow players to exit out of the game board 10 and returnto an interface displayed by the electronic device.

Where the game board 10 is played on electronic devices having a screen,it should be understood that the game board 10 may operate similarly tothat described above. For example, whereas a player may place a coloredchip 16 on a letter 14 on a physical game board 10, the screen of anelectronic device may display a virtual colored chip 16 on the letters14 of a word that the player has correctly identified.

As the player interacts with the game board 10, visual aids may bedisplayed on the screen to assist the player. By way of example, circles158 may be displayed around letters 14 as the player selects the letters14 for a particular word. In FIG. 12, the player has currently selectedB-O-G-A-R. As a further example, the circles 158 may be interconnectedby lines 160 showing the path of letters 14 selected.

Although every feature of the game board 10 has not been fullyenumerated, it should be understood that certain features of the gameboard 10 may vary from one embodiment to the next. To illustrate, insome games players may “reuse” letters 14, while in other games playersmay be prohibited from “reusing” letters 14. In some games the lastletter of a word must terminate at an edge, while in other games theword must simply extend across the length or width of the array ofletters 14. Hence the described features and embodiments are trulyexemplary, and many variations of the game board 10 remain within thescope of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, once the player locates the words the game board 10may present the player with another game. For example, the game board 10may challenge the player to locate a number of words that all relate toa particular theme or a single clue. Hints may again be available toassist the player with moving the game forward. Likewise, the player maybe competing against a clock, and thus possible points may decrease astime elapses. The game board 10 may in some embodiments present theplayer with a still further game. For example, the game board 10 maychallenge the player to find a 10- or 11-letter word winding through afour by four array of letters. In one variation, the game board 10 mayprovide a clue to the player, and the word corresponding to the cluemust touch all four corners of the array.

Turning now to FIG. 13, yet another game is displayed on the game board10. In this game, each indicator 130 may instruct the player to find acertain quantity 162 of words of a certain length. For example, the gameboard 10 here is instructing the player to find three 5-letter words.The player has already found two out of three 5-letter words, hence the“⅔.” A list 164 beneath each indicator 130 may show the words that theplayer has already located. Thus one can see that the player has alreadyfound “CHAPS” and “INDEX” under the 5-letter word category. Moreover,this game may be based on elapsed time 136 rather than points.

Because some shorter-length words may form a portion of longer-lengthwords, a button 166, for example “ENTER”, may be provided. The playermay then tap that button 166 when he or she desires to register alocated word. The game board 10 need not assume whether the player wastrying for a shorter word or a longer word.

This game along with other games may accord the player more or lesspoints depending on the type of words located. For instance, a “doubleword” that has a second meaning when its letters are reversed (e.g.,“tops” and “spot”) may be worth more points or may reduce the elapsedtime 136, depending on how the game is scored. As a further example,players that can utilize every letter 14 on an array may be awarded abonus in the form of added points or reduced elapsed time 136. A status168 on the game board 10 may inform the player of the percentage ofletters 14 on the array that have been utilized thus far. Bonuses mayalso be awarded to players that locate words having seven or moreletters, for example. Still further, a player may be docked points ortime where the player locates words that are derivatives of one another(e.g., “gap” and “gaps”).

In another embodiment, the game board 10 may challenge a player tolocate a string of words within a sixteen by sixteen array of letters14. The game may first require the player to locate a string of wordsthat connect the left and right sides of the array. The game may thenrequire the player to locate a string of words that connect the top andbottom of the array. The words located in the left-right string mayremain highlighted with virtual colored chips as the player locates astring of words from the top to bottom. In some variations, the playermust cross over the left-right string so as not to “use” a letter 14forming one of the words in the left-right string. In other words, theplayer must create a diagonal connection to cross the left-right string.In other variations, though, the game board 10 may allow the player touse letters from the left-right string of words to create the top-bottomstring of words.

In this embodiment, the game may not necessarily track elapsed time.Rather, points may be based on the number of words required to createthe left-right and top-bottom strings. Thus players that use longerwords may be rewarded accordingly. Further, because of the size of thearray in this embodiment, the game board 10 may include features thatassist players. For example, once the player selects a letter 14, thescreen may zoom in on the selected letter 14 and letters 14 nearby.Another example involves the use of a rotate button. The rotate buttonmay allow the player to rotate the array 180 degrees while maintainingthe letters 14 in an upright, readable format. Such rotation allowsplayers sitting across from one another to play the game on a devicepositioned between them without having to move the device between turns.

Still another game is shown in FIG. 14. The game shown can be played bymultiple players (e.g., two, three, four) sharing a single electronicdevice or can be played by multiple players at different locations. Theobjective of the game may be to locate a string of words that connectthe top and bottom or left and right sides of a sixteen by sixteenarray. Virtual colored chips 16 may indicate which player located a wordcomprised of particular letters 14. Further, players may attempt to“block” one another by locating words in each other's paths. Players mayonly “cross” another player's string of words at diagonals, as describedabove in at least one of single player embodiments.

The game board 10 shown in FIG. 14 may also include a zoom button 170and a rotate button 172. The zoom button 170 may allow players to zoomin on a particular section of the array. Once zoomed in, the player maymove the view to different sections of the array. The rotate button 172may allow the player to rotate the array 180 degrees while maintainingthe letters 14 in an upright, readable format. The game board 10 may bereturned to a default view after each player's turn.

In some embodiments, each player may be allotted a certain amount oftotal time, the idea being that once a player has run out of time, thatplayer loses. During a player's turn, that player's allotment of totaltime may count down towards zero, and continue counting down with eachsuccessive turn. Once a player identifies a word on the array, though,the next player's total time starts counting down.

While the description thus far has focused largely on the game board 10and its multitude of embodiments, also important is the hardware andinfrastructure that support the game board 10. FIG. 15 illustrates anexemplary computer system 200, or network architecture, that may be usedto implement the game board 10 in electronic devices according to thepresent disclosure. One or more computer systems 200 may carry out themethods presented herein as computer code. One or more processors, suchas processor 220, which may be a special purpose or a general-purposeprocessor is connected to a bus 210. As shown in FIG. 15, bus 210connects the processor 220 to various other components of the computersystem 200, but it is contemplated bus 210 may connect processor 220 tocomponents (not shown) such as, sensors, and servomechanisms. It is alsocontemplated that bus 210 connects the processor 220 to other computersystems. Via the bus 210, the processor 220 can receive computer code.The term “computer code” includes, for example, programs, instructions,signals and/or data. The processor 220 executes computer code and mayfurther send the computer code via the bus 210.

The computer system 200 may include one or more memories, such as firstmemory 230 and second memory 240. It is contemplated that the firstmemory 230, secondary memory 240, or a combination thereof function as acomputer usable storage medium to store and/or access computer code. Thefirst memory 230 and second memory 240 may be, for example, randomaccess memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a mass storage device, orany combination thereof.

As shown in FIG. 15, one embodiment of second memory 240 is a massstorage device 243, although it is contemplated that first memory 230may be the mass storage device. The mass storage device 243 comprises astorage drive 245 and a storage media 247. It is contemplated thestorage media 247 may or may not be removable from the storage drive245. Mass storage devices 243 with storage media 247 that are removable,otherwise referred to as removable storage media, allow computer code tobe transferred to and/or from the computer system 200.

A mass storage device 243 may include, for example, a Compact DiscRead-Only Memory (“CDROM”), ZIP storage device, tape storage device,magnetic storage device, optical storage device,Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (“MEMS”), nanotechnological storagedevice, floppy storage device, hard disk device. Mass storage device 243also includes program cartridges and cartridge interfaces (such as thatfound in video game devices), removable memory chips (such as an EPROM,or PROM) and associated sockets.

The computer system 200 may further or alternatively include other meansfor computer code to be loaded into or removed from the computer system200, for example, input/output (“I/O”) interface 250 and/orcommunications interface 260. Both the I/O interface 250 and thecommunications interface 260 allow computer code to be transferredbetween the computer system 200 and external devices including othercomputer systems. This transfer may be bi-directional or omni-directionto or from the computer system 200.

Computer code transferred by the I/O interface 250 and thecommunications interface 260 are typically in the form of signals, whichmay be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable ofbeing sent and/or received by the interfaces. These signals may betransmitted via a variety of modes including, but not limited to, wireor cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, infrared(“IR”), and radio frequency (“RF”) link.

The I/O interface 250 may be any connection, wired or wireless, thatallows the transfer of computer code. An I/O interface 250 includes, forexample, an analog or digital audio connection, digital video interface(“DVI”), video graphics adapter (“VGA”), musical instrument digitalinterface (“MIDI”), parallel connection, PS/2 connection, serialconnection, universal serial bus connection (“USB”), IEEE1394connection, PCMCIA slot and card. In certain embodiments the I/Ointerface connects to an I/O unit 255 such as a user interface, monitor,speaker, printer, touch screen display, to name a few.

The communications interface 260 is also any connection that allows thetransfer of computer code. Communication interfaces include, but are notlimited to, a modem, network interface (such as an Ethernet card), wiredor wireless systems (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR), local area networks,wide area networks, intranets, etc.

One aspect of the present disclosures is also directed to computerproducts, otherwise referred to as computer program products, to providesoftware that includes computer code to the computer system 200.Processor 220 executes the computer code in order to implement themethods of the present invention. As an example, the methods accordingto the present invention may be implemented using software that includesthe computer code, wherein the software is loaded into the computersystem 200 using a memory 230, 240 such as the mass storage drive 243,or through an I/O interface 250, communications interface 260, or anyother interface with the computer system 200. The computer code inconjunction with the computer system 200 described herein may performany one of, or any combination of, the steps of any of the methodspresented herein. It is also contemplated that the methods according tothe present invention may be performed automatically, or may be invokedby some form of manual intervention.

The computer system 200, or network architecture, of FIG. 15 is providedonly for purposes of illustration, such that the present invention isnot limited to this specific embodiment. It is appreciated that a personskilled in the relevant art knows how to program and implement theinvention using any computer system or network architecture.

The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only asillustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is,therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription. Those of skill in the art will recognize changes,substitutions and other modifications that will nonetheless come withinthe scope of the invention and range of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A board game that incorporates a game board for generating words during game play, comprising a plurality of boards, each of said plurality of boards comprising a plurality of letters, said game board created by placing at least a first of said plurality of boards adjacent to at least a second of said plurality of boards such that some of said plurality of letters on said first board are adjacent to some of the plurality of letters on said second board, and such that words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the first board by using the plurality of letters on the first board, words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the second board by using the plurality of letters on the second board, and words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on both the first and second boards by using the plurality of letters on both the first and second boards, wherein during the game play, a player places a plurality of translucent colored chips on top of the plurality of letters on said first board, said second board or both said first and said second boards to create words and a path, said path being generated by the connection of the words, with the objective of the board game to be a path of translucent colored chips from one edge of the plurality of boards to the opposite edge of the plurality of boards.
 2. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of letters are arranged in a four by four array on each of said plurality of boards.
 3. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of letters are arranged in a four by four array on each side of said plurality of boards.
 4. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a four by four array for use during game play.
 5. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a six by two array for use during game play.
 6. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of translucent chips are a single color.
 7. The board game of claim 6, wherein said plurality of translucent chips are a single color for a particular player or team.
 8. The board game of claim 1, wherein words are generated by a plurality of players alternatively generating words by placing the translucent colored chips on the plurality of boards.
 9. A method of playing a board game that incorporates a game board made up of a plurality of boards, each of the plurality of boards containing a plurality of letters, each of said plurality of boards configured to be placed adjacent to another of the plurality of boards, such that at least one of the plurality of letters on a first board of said plurality of boards is adjacent to at least one of the plurality of letters on a second board, and such that words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the first board by using the plurality of letters on the first board, words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the second board by using the plurality of letters on the second board, and words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the first and second boards by using the plurality of letters on both the first and second boards, comprising the steps of: a) placing at least two of said plurality of boards adjacent to each other; b) allowing for a first player to place a first plurality of translucent colored chips onto the plurality of letters on the first board, the second board and the combination of the first and second board, said first plurality of translucent chips creating a first path; c) allowing for a second player to place a second plurality of translucent colored chips onto the plurality of letters on the first board, the second board and the combination of the first and second board, said second plurality of translucent colored chips being a different color than said first plurality of translucent colored chips, said second plurality of translucent chips creating a second path; d) alternating steps b and c until either said first path or said second path continues unbroken from one edge of said plurality of boards to the opposite edge of said plurality of boards.
 10. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of letters are arranged in a four by four array on each of said plurality of boards.
 11. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of letters are arranged in a four by four array on each side of said plurality of boards.
 12. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a four by four array for use during game play.
 13. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a six by two array for use during game play.
 14. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a five by five array for use during game play.
 15. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of translucent chips are a single color for a particular player or team. 